“Brother Fu, you believe Jin Xiaoya’s words? It’s not April Fool’s Day,” Ma Xiaoyong said with a scornful laugh before Li Wu could speak. “If Li Feng really dared to slap Zhu Yuanyang, I’ll crawl out of the Empire Hotel.”
Fu Yanxiong chuckled. “Alright, everyone heard that. Ma Xiaoyong said he’ll crawl out. If he doesn’t, he’s a cowardly turtle.”
“Brother Fu, you have that much faith in Li Feng?” Ma Xiaoyong asked.
“Brother Xiaoyong, I’m telling the truth,” Jin Xiaoya said, looking at Ma Xiaoyong with pity. “Many people saw Li Feng slap Zhu Yuanyang—Brother Song Zhiyuan from the Song family, Brother Qin Feng from the Qin family, Liu Shichao and Liu Shijie, Zong Yanshan, and others with Brother Song, plus many more.”
“What?” Ma Xiaoyong’s expression changed. He hadn’t expected so many witnesses. If it was just Jin Xiaoya, he’d think she was joking, but with Qin Feng and Song Zhiyuan involved, he couldn’t dismiss it.
“Brother Ma, I’ll look forward to watching you crawl out,” Fu Yanxiong said with a smile. Among those present, no one knew Li Feng better than him. To others, Li Feng slapping Zhu Yuanyang seemed impossible, but to him, it was perfectly in character. Li Feng was a lawless man, capable of anything.
“You…” Ma Xiaoyong’s face darkened, his eyes flashing with cold anger. He was furious at Li Feng for putting him in this position.
Bang! Li Wu slammed his hand on the table, saying coldly, “How could he be so bold?” He couldn’t fathom Li Feng slapping Zhu Yuanyang, an act that could spark conflict between the Li and Zhu families. Even he wouldn’t dare. Where did Li Feng get the nerve?
“There’s nothing Li Feng wouldn’t dare do,” Fu Yanxiong said, a sly smile in his eyes as he looked at the grim-faced Li Wu. “Li Wu, I told you, if you want to be the Li family heir, Li Feng is your biggest obstacle. Between you two, I’m betting on him.”
Li Wu’s expression shifted, unsettled by Fu Yanxiong’s words and the chaos caused by Li Feng’s actions. He hadn’t expected Li Feng to slap Zhu Yuanyang, leaving him unsure how to handle it.
“Xiaoya, did Song Zhiyuan and Qin Feng really see Li Feng slap Zhu Yuanyang?” Jin Songyang asked.
“Brother, you think I’m joking?” Jin Xiaoya retorted, displeased.
Jin Songyang paused, then looked at Li Wu with interest. Everyone knew the tension between Li Feng and Li Wu. He was curious to see Li Wu’s reaction.
Ying Suyan turned to Fu Yanxiong. “Young Master Fu, you seem quite familiar with Li Feng?”
Ma Xiaoyong and Jin Songyang also looked at Fu Yanxiong. While they dismissed Li Feng, Fu Yanxiong’s every word showed confidence in him.
“Familiar?” Fu Yanxiong’s eyes gleamed. “If Li Feng’s a nobody, then we’re all nobodies.”
Ma Xiaoyong and the others were stunned, struggling to grasp his meaning.
Tap, tap, tap… Footsteps approached, and a group entered—Li Feng, Hu Yuanyuan, Qin Feng, and Song Zhiyuan.
“You’re all here. Looks like we arrived just in time,” Qin Feng said with a smile.
“Qin Feng, Song Zhiyuan, why are you only here now?” Jin Songyang asked, surprised, his gaze falling on Li Feng and Hu Yuanyuan. Being from the northeast, he didn’t know them.
“Let me introduce. This is Li Feng, and this is his wife, Hu Yuanyuan,” Qin Feng said with a smile.
“Li Feng?” Jin Songyang was taken aback, recalling Jin Xiaoya’s claim that Li Feng slapped Zhu Yuanyang. He scrutinized him.
“You’re the one who slapped Zhu Yuanyang?” Jin Songyang asked, incredulous.
“Zhu Yuanyang? If you mean Miss Pig, then yes,” Li Feng nodded. “But I didn’t want to. She asked for it, and I, Li Feng, just obliged.”
“She asked you to hit her?” Jin Songyang was stunned.
Li Wu stepped forward. “Big brother, you really slapped Zhu Yuanyang? Do you know how much trouble this could cause the family?”
Li Feng sneered inwardly at Li Wu’s lecturing tone. “What does my slapping Zhu Yuanyang have to do with the family?”
“You’re a Li. Your actions represent the family,” Li Wu said gravely.
“So what? Didn’t you say you’d handle any trouble for me? What’s there to worry about?” Li Feng said casually.
Li Wu’s face turned ashen with anger. He’d promised to help Li Feng, but not with something like this.
“Li Feng, don’t you think hitting a woman is terribly rude?” Ying Suyan interjected. She had a striking figure and face—tall and slender, with fair skin, an oval face, natural willow-leaf brows, a refined nose, and cherry lips framed by glossy wavy hair. Her white embroidered qipao accentuated her curves, making her a breathtaking beauty any man would desire.
Li Feng glanced at her briefly. “I don’t think so. Some women deserve it.”
“So you often hit Hu Yuanyuan?” Ying Suyan asked, looking at Hu Yuanyuan. “Such a delicate beauty—how could you?”
“Why not? Miss, don’t you know, hitting is affection, scolding is love?” Li Feng said, glancing at Ying Suyan.
“So, was hitting Zhu Yuanyang affection and love?” she asked.
Li Feng smiled, eyeing her. “Miss, you seem awfully concerned about me.”
“I’m just asking for Zhu Yuanyang, as a fellow woman,” Ying Suyan replied.
“Which of the eight top families are you from?” Li Feng asked.
“The Ying family, Ying Suyan.”
“Ying Suyan,” Li Feng smiled. “Nice name, beautiful too, but your questions are rather foolish.”
“Hey, why are you insulting her? Sister Suyan didn’t offend you,” Jin Xiaoya said, indignant.
Li Feng glanced at her. “Little girl, I met Zhu Yuanyang for the first time today, yet Miss Ying asks if it’s affection and love. Isn’t that a foolish question?”
“I’m not a little girl,” Jin Xiaoya pouted. “Besides, Sister Suyan didn’t know it was your first meeting with Zhu Yuanyang.”
Li Feng smiled, turning to Ma Xiaoyong. “And this is…?”
“I’m Ma Xiaoyong,” he said, standing, his eyes cold. “Missed your grand display today. What a pity.”
Li Feng sensed Ma Xiaoyong’s hostility. Why? He hadn’t offended him. Was it because of the Li family? Unlikely, as the Ma family, based in the northwest, had little conflict with the Li family.
“Young Master Ma, I just disciplined an arrogant fool,” Li Feng said calmly.
“Li Feng, you nobody, how dare you hit Zhu Yuanyang?” Ma Xiaoyong said coldly.
“What’s that to you? Are you her suitor, here to defend her?” Li Feng’s face darkened. If Ma Xiaoyong was Zhu Yuanyang’s suitor, that would explain his hostility. But Li Feng didn’t know it stemmed from Fu Yanxiong’s bet with Ma.
“So what if I am, or if I’m not?” Ma Xiaoyong said coldly.
“Doesn’t matter to me,” Li Feng sneered. “Just a reminder, Young Master Ma—think about how Emperor Gaozong of Tang died.”
“What do you mean?” Ma Xiaoyong asked.
“Killed by Wu Zetian, idiot,” Li Feng said flatly.
“You…” Ma Xiaoyong was furious, trembling with rage at the insinuation that pursuing Zhu Yuanyang would lead to his doom. He’d never been so insulted.
Ignoring him, Li Feng turned to Fu Yanxiong. “Young Master Fu, why the cap? Cold today, or are you too ashamed to show your face?”
“Li Feng,” Fu Yanxiong stood, glaring with murderous intent, grinding his teeth.
